Laundry-classifying apparatus



E. LANE LAUNDRY CLASSIFYING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 16, 1925 Fig.1.

INVENTOR 4 A0 EYS Aug. 24, 1926. 1,597,527

E. LANYE I LAUNDRY CLASSIFYING vAPPARATUS iled Nov. 192s .5 Shets-Sheet 2 BY z ATT NEYS Aug. 24, 1926. 1,597,521

E. LANE LAUNDRY CLASSIF'YING APPARATUS Filed Ndv. 16, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 I m ENTCR ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 24, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.-

ED'WIN m, U! m YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO CAROLYN LAUNDRY, OF NEW YORK,

' N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

LLU'R'DBY-CLASSIFY'ING APPARATUS.

Appllmtlon fled November 18, 1925. Serial No. 69,657.

ing apparatus and has particular applies tion to a sorting or classifying table, so constructed and equipped that clothing, tab- 6 ries and other articles to be laundered may be rapidly, economically and conveniently sorted or distributed, according to class, while at the same time the liability of misplacing or losing pieces, or confusing the laundry of one customer with that of another, is avoided.

As is well known, y especially large laundriesat the present establishments, will reeeive from a customer, a batch or bundle of laundry eontainin a at variety of articles, such as sti co rs, and shirts, undergarments, hosiery, and other articles of personal wearing ap arel, in addition to articles for househol use, such as towels, sheets, and the like, the latter being commonly known as fiat work. 1

Some parts of the work, such as collars and shirts," are usually charged for by the article or piece, while other parts such as the flat work covering, for example, sheets table cloths, towels, wearing apprel, and the like, my be charged for by the pound.

When such a miscellaneous batch of laundry is received, it is necessary to segregate and separate out the various articles according to clam or kind, and to tag or otherwise identify the same so that when the laundering operation has been completed all of the articles or goods bel to a cus tomer may be collected for sliver-y. Obviously it is exceedingly important, particularly in large leundries, handling thousands of pieces of goods for" many difierent customers, to have this work of separation and distribution and than subsequent collection, proceed as rapi and symematically as possible with the exercise of great care to avoid loss of pieces. or confusion of the goods of the various customers.

Heretofore, it hasbeen my experience that the usual method employed, thatis, simply having the customer; batch of laundry dumped upon an ordinary table and separated out by the operator into various piles, is not only a time-consuming operation, but there is a liability of the operator forgetting to properly clear the table of allarticles ofone batch of laundry, with the result that any article so overlooked is liable to be mixed with a subsequent batch of laundry belonging to another customer.

By the use of my invention all of the above objections are obviated, the apparatus being so constructed and operated as to Insure that no article will be misplaced or overlooked, while at the same time the separation or segregation of the articles may proceed systematically with great rapidity, accuracy and ease.

With the, above recited objects and others of a similar nature in view my invention consists in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts set forth in and falling within the scope of the appended claims.

, In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a top plan View of a classifying apparatus embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 3 isa top plan view with the table top or; platform removed, and showing the arrangement of rods and links forming part of the operating mechanism.

Fig. 4 is a detail view taken on the line H of Fig. 3 and looking in the direction of the arrow.

Fig. 5 is a detail view taken on the line 55 of Fig. 3 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 6 is a view partly in section and partly in elevation taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 3, and looking in the direction of the arrow.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing the arrangement of the-link-and-lever operating mechanism.

Before entering into a detailed description of my invention, I would briefly state that,

in the preferred form shown herein, it embodies a three-sided table or platform having an open way or recess in which the operator may stand for convenient working position'. This table is provided with a. Weighing scale having a pan in which the bundle of laundry as received from the customer is first deposited. 'The table is further provided with a main receptacle in which the operator places such flat work as may be picked up from a miscellaneous bundle lying in the scale pan. The table is also equipped with a plurality of bins divided by partitions into compartments for the reception of various articles taken from the scale pan in the classifying operation as hereinafter mentioned.

Furthermore, I provide asuitable number of garnlent-receiving supports, preferably in the nature of tubes or pipes, each support being adapted to temporarily hold a flQXllJlO garment-carrying element such as a short section of chain or rope, in such manner that the garment having an opening therein such as a sleeve. leg or body opening, may tempt rarily be fitted over or threaded upon the tubular support with the chain carried thereby extending through the armhole or leg hole of the garment, so that at the desired time the flexible element with the garments hungthereon may be lifted from the tubular support and the ends of the flexible element united in the form of a loop carrying the garments, the loop of course being properly provided with identification tags. These tu bular SUPPOI'LS are also provided with eject ing mechanism to throw off any flexible garmentcarrying element which might have been overlooked.

Furthermore, the table is equipped with suitable movable bag-holding studs or pins which may be moved in and out or raised and lowered to hold or release the laundryreceiving bags. After a batch of laundry has been segregated or distributed to the various appliances above mentioned, the table may be cleared by the simple operation o dumping the main receptacle, before mentioned, the latter being so connected by operating mechanism, including a system of levers and links, that the various commrtinent-bins, ejecting mechanism and bagliolding devices will also be operated so that the clearance of the table will be completed and no goods or articles will remain unnoticed to be confused with subsequent articles belonging to the laundry batch of another customer.

Hereafter I will describe in detail by way of example, the complete cycle of operation of the apparatus.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings in detail, the letter A indicates, as an entirety, three-sided table or platform which provides a recess or space E in which the operator may stand. A suitable weighing scale is shown at C and is provided with a trough orpan D, upon which a bundle of laundry to be sorted or classified is initially deposited. A main receptacle E is hinged as at 1 to the table, so that it may be tilted or dumped when desired, as hereinafter described, and this main receptacle is designed to receive miscellaneous flat pieces such as sheets, table cloths, and the like. re

moved by the operator from the scale pan. Preferably this main receptacle E is subdivided to provide pockets 9 and 3 for the reception cf small articles, such as hosiery and handkerchiefs.

Mounted on the table top at opposite sides of the recess are pairs of spaced tubular standards each pair of standards supporting a bin F. Each of the bins F is formed with an inclined back wall section 5, to the lower forward end of which is hinged as at 6, a drop bottom 7. Partitions 8 divide the bins F into compartments. These compartments are intended to have placed therein, articles removed by the operator from the scale pan, for example, articles or goods KUOWD as white starched, white soft, colored starchec, colored soft, silks, wools, colored heavy and white heavy. In other words, these compartments of the bins F are particularly suitable for the reception of pieces or articles which are comparatively small, yet are devoid of openings such, for example, as doilies, scarfs, centerpieces, and. the like.

Also mounted on the table top, preferably adiacent to each side edge of the recess B, or in front of each bin F, is a-row of tubular supports, each of which is indicated by the numeral 9, these supports being in the nature of vertical tubes or pipes. Each tubular support 9 is adapted to have placed or hung therein, as shown in Fig. 1, one end of a flexible garmenbholding element 10, which is preferably in the form of a chain carrying at one end a safety pin or other fastener 11, and which fastener. or the chain itself, may be provided or marked with a suitable identifying number or tag. The safety pin end of the chain is inserted in the open end of its tubular support so that the chain will drop or train down alongside of the support as clearly shown in. Fig. 2. As the operator takes up a garment. having a sleeve or leg opening therein, this garment is threaded, by means of the opening, onto the tubular support with the chain of course sticking or projecting through the opening in the garment. In other words. the tubular support and the chain run through the sleeve of the garment, for example. Within each of the tubular supports is located a vertically movable plunger or ejector 1.2. the upper end of which when the plunger is depressed, will lie below the pin or fastener at the end of the chain. After the garments have been strung over the ubular supports and onto the chains, the chains may be removed from the supports and the ends fastened together by means of the safety pin or other fastener to constitute a laundryholding loop. In other words, the laundry is strunr; upon the looped and fastened chain. the batch being readily identified by an identification tag or mark. Should the operator forget to remove either a chain which has not been used, or one having laundry thereon, when the table clear' operation hereinafter described takes p ace the chain will be ejected from the tube and drop on to the table or floor.

In the table top, at one of the side portions thereof I cut a suitable bag-receiving opening 13 through which a netted laundryreceiving bag 14 may be hung by means of suspending books 15 and the vertically movable pins 16, the latter being elevated and depressed as hereinafter mentioned to either hold or release the laundry-receiving bag. I'have shown a bag as suspended at the opening, and in Fig. 5, I have shown the arrangement of hooks and pins in bag-holding position, and it will be noted that the mouths open down so that when the pins are depressed the bag, weighted bythe laundry therein, may drop from the hooks and through the opening to the floor.

Also, in the table top adjacent to one corner of the recess B, I locate a plurality of bag-supporting studs, in the present instance, three in number, and arranged in triangular formation, such studs being shown at 17. These studs are vertically movable through corresponding apertures bored in the table top, and may be raised or lowered into or out of bag-holding position. This triangular arrangement of the studs 17 is intended to hold a relatively large laundry bag which is to receive the flat work dumped from the main receptacle onto the scale pan after such fiat work has been classified and weighed. At this time I might state that these studs are elevated into bag-receiving position when the main bin E is tilted or dumped in the operation of clearing the table or dumped by operating the handle H. As shown in the dotted lines in Fig. 1, the drop bottoms of the bins F will open to discharge any goods in the compartments of these bins; the ejectors in the chain-supporting tubes or pipes will be raised to throw off an chains hanging from the pipes; the bagho ding pins 16 will be depressed to permit the bag 14 to drop through the opening it the bag has not been removed; and the bagholding studs 17 will be raised in order to receive a large laundry bag.

When the receptacle E is thrown back into its normal laundry-receiving position, the parts just mentioned will be restored to their normal positions.

The train of mechanism for accomplishing this simultaneous operation of the various parts ust mentioned, may be of any suit le character, and in the present instance, is constructed and opirates as follows, particular reference ing had to Fi 7 I The main hinged receptacle E is provided with a handle or dumping lever H within is tilted or dumped through the medium of the handle H the stud 18 rides in the slot of the bar 20, and the movement of this bar lifts the connected end of the bell crank lever 22 thereby pushing the rod 23 in the direction of the arrow as shown in Fig. 7- in other words, pulls the bell crank 22 into the position shown in the dotted line in Fig. 2. This link or bar 23 is connected to and actuates the bell crank levers 24, 25. 26, 27 and 28. The bell crank 24 actuated by the bar 23 is connected with and operates the bar 29,, while similarly the companion bell crank 27 is connected to and operates the bar 30 arranged in parallelism to the bar 29.

The bar 29 carries a number of bel crank levers 31, which are connected with and raise and lower the ejectors 32 connected therewith. Similarly, the companion bar 30 carries the bell cranks 33 connected with and operating the adjacent ejcctors 34. Thebar 29 also carries a bell crank lever 35 connected to a link 36, having a loose connection with the bellcrank 37, which in turn operates one of the vertically arranged actuating rods 38 passing through the adjacent bin-sup porting standard 4 and connected ,to the drop bottom thereof. The companion bottom actuating rod 39 is operated from the link 22, and also passes through its tubular standard and is connected with the opposite end of the drop bottom. In other words, the dro bottom of the adjacent bin F is operate through these vertically movable actuating rods 38 and 39. Similarly, the

vertically movable actuating rod 41 of the opposite drop bottom bin is operated through a bell crank 42, link 43 and be l crank 44 actuatedfrom the bar 30, while at the other end of the bin the drop bottom is connected with a vertically movable actuating rod 45, operated through the connecting bell crank 28 and the bar 23. It will be evident that when the bar 23 is pushed in the direction of the arrow the bars 29 and 30 will be shifted to raise the ejectors 32 and 34 and to open the drop bottoms of the bins F.

Similarly, the bag-holding pins 16 are connected through hell cranks 46 with the bar 30 so that upon the movement of the bar in the direction of the arrow these pins will be lowered out of bag-holding position to permit the bag if held thereby to drop through the opening of the table top.

Furthermore, the bell cranks 25 and 26 connected with the bar 23 are also connected with two of the triangularly arrangedpins 17 at the corner of thetabfe so that with the movement of the bar 23 in the direction of the arrow to raise the ejectors, and to open the drop bottoms of the bins F and to depress the pin 16. these two bag-holding pins 17 will be elevated. The third bag-holding pin 17, is connected as at l? with one of the links on the bar 3l so that it will also be raised to complete the t ianguiarl arranged elevated bag-holding bins.

In order to clerrlv understand the operation of my improved classifying table, I will now proceed to describe the same in connection with the separation and classification of a particular batch of laundi -j.

lVe will assume, for example, that a bi tch is received containing varioijis articles. such as household linen, wearing apparel, collars, shirts, handkerchiets and the lihe W'hen this batch reaches the operator at the classifying table, usually in the torm or" a bundle, a number is assigned to the same, for example #711, this COllGSl'JODCllIlg to the identifying tag or chain, with pins ll 1611 the bundle ot laundry is received at the classifying table, it is first dumped or placed in the scale pan, in order that the total weight. of the bundle may be determined and checked. At this time the main receptacle E is in its normal laundry-receiving position. The dumping bottoms of the bins F are in normal closed position, the ejector-s in the tubes or pipes depressed, while the bag-holding pins adjacent to the bag-receiving opening in the table are in elevated bag-holding position, while the bag-receiving pins at the corner of the table are lowered or depressed. The operator now takes the required number or"? identitying' chains and places the pins thereof in the tubular supports as shown in Fig. 2, so that the body oi each chain will trail down alongside each support. All is now ready for the classification and separation of the articles.

The operator then proceeds as follows:

Flat work such as table and bed linen is removed from the scale pan and placed in the main receptacle Articles of wearing ap Jarel having sleeves, leg or body open ing's. such undershirts and the like, are then slipped over the tubular supports and chains. Handkerchiefs and socks. for example. are put in the small compartments at the side of the bin E. Various other goods such as doihes, scarts, centerpieces etc., or articles that have no arm holes or leg holes are placed in bins F. Shirts and collars are placed in the bag projecting through the opening in the table top.

i-Xssumine that all articles in the bundle have now been removed from the. scale pan and classified just described. the operator proceeds to clear the table ot everything except the tlat work which is in the main receptacle E. In this clearing operation,

the chains carried by the device or pipes are looped about the articles thereon. Smaller articles in the compartments of bins F directly above or in line with each tube or pipe are placed in small bags, and these bags may. it desired, be attached to the pin ot' the loop chain carrying the articles al'orementioned. These having been so collected and put to one side, the bag containing the collars and shirts may now be removed from the pins and hooks. and is so placed to one side. II; it now required that the Upifltll fil' damp the bin 1"] so as to discharge the hat work contained therein back on the scale so that these articles may again be weighed as a separate charge. Now. we will as ume that the operator, through haste, carel ness or delay has neglected to remove a chain and pin from one of the tubular supports or to remove a small article, for instance. from one of the bins F or has forgotten to lift a shirt and collarcontainingbag from its pins 16. As the receptacle ll dumped to discharge all llat work on to the pan. this movement of the receptacle will through the train of mech anism described cause the plungers in the tubular supports to be elevated, thereby ejec ing the chain, so that it will drop on the table thereby attracting the attention of the operator to the fact that it has been forgotten.

At the same time the hinged compartments of bins F will drop. thereby discharge ing a 'ttn's otten article on the table in sight of the operator so that this forgotten article may so be taken up and put in its proper classification. At the same time the pins holding the bee at the opening in the table will be lowered to the level of the table top. thereby releasing this bag it forgotten. and

arising it to drop to the floor. attracting the attention of the operator so that it may be recovered. At the same time the pins aforementioned at the corner of the table will be elevated in the bag-receiving position. The operator then lits on to these pins a, relatively large bag and into this bag places the tiat work which has been dumped on to the scale pan from the receptacle E, after having" noted the weight of such flat work. The classification is now completed.

At the same time that the bin E is restored to its normal, horizontal laundry-receiving position, the electors in the tubular supports will be lowered. the triangularly arranged l r receiving pins depressed, which will iclt ase the bag if remaining thereon. the dr p bottoms of the bins F are elevated into cl position and the bag receivingpins to. will be elevated to normal l 1,; X ngt positim'i.

The table now read tor the reception and classification oi another bundle of lit) ' and variation may be made without depart ing from the spirit of the invention or exceeding the scope of the appended claims.

For example, if desired, instead of employing thetubular chain and pinvholding sup ts, I might provide a number or row of gg-receiving openings, with the hooks and pins, for receiving laundry bags, similar to the bag '14 arranged in the manner as shown in Figs. 1 and 5.

What I claim is: a

1. A laundry classifying-apparatus comprising a table having a receiving station, receptacles into which articles are adapted to be distributed from the receiving sta-.

tion, and means for tilting the receptacles for discharging articles therefrom.

2. A laundry classifying apparatus comprising a receiving station, a plurality of receptacles located adjacent to the receiving station and into which articles are adapted to be distributed according to a predetermined classification, and common means for operating on the receptacles for dischar ing articles therefrom.

3. A aundry classifying apparatus com prising a table having a receiving station, an article-receiving receptacle located adjacent thereto, a member adapted to receive a flexible article-sup orting element, an ejector for ejecting tie element from the member, and mechanism for dumping the article-receiving receptacle and actuating the ejector of the article-receiving member.

4. A laundry classifying apparatus including a receiving station, a main receptacle located adjacent thereto, a plurality of supplemental bins, and means operable to tilt the main receptacle and simultaneous 1y dump the bins.

5. A laundry classifying apparatus comprising a plurality of article-receiving receptacles having mechanism associated therewith to discharge the contents of the receptacles, and means for operating the disc urging mechanism of all the receptacles to simultaneously discharge the contents thereof.

6. A laundry classifying apparatus comprising a plurality of receptacles adapted to receive articles to be laundered according to a. predetermined classification, a plurality of members located adjacent to the receptacle and adapted to receive flexible laundry-holding elements, ejector mechanism for ejecting the flexible elements from the members, bag-holding means, and means for simultaneously operating the receptacles,

the ejector mechanism, and the bag-holding means.

7. A laundry classifying apparatus including a weighing scale forming a receiv ing station, a plurality of dumping receptacles located adjacent to the receivin station, and common mechanismfor discliarging the receptacles at a selected time.

8. A laundry classifying a paratus including a plurality of tubular supports adapted to support flexible laundry-holding elements, ejectors associated with the members, a laundry.-recei-ving receptacle, and means for simultaneously dumping the laundry receiving receptacle and operating the ejectors to releasethe said elements from the ejectors.

9. A laundry classifying apparatus in cluding a tilting receptacle, a bin subdivided into a plurality of compartments and having a dumping bottom, and mechanism for simultaneously tilting the receptacle and dumping the compartments of the bin.

10. A laundry classifying apparatus including a plurality of laundry-receiving receptacles, supports for flexible laundryholding elements having ejectors associated therewith, bag-holding means, and common mechanism for simultaneously actuating the receptacles, and operating the ejectors and the bag-holding means.

11. A laundry classifying apparatus including a receiving station, a plurality of receptacles, into which articles from the receiving station are adapted to be distributed and supports on the table for receiving laundry-holding devices, ejecting means at the supports for ejecting the laundry-holding devices, and mechanism for simultaneously dumping the receptacles and actuating the ejecting means.

12. A laundry classifying apparatus including a table having a plurality of sets of bag-supporting means, and mechanism operable to move one of said sets into bagsupporting position and move another set out of bag-supporting position.

13. A laundry classifying apparatus including a table, a plurality of sets of bagsupporting pins associated therewith, and mechanism for simultaneously moving one set of pins into bag-supporting position and another set of the pins outof bag-supporting position.

14. A laundry classifying apparatus including a dumping table, a plurality of bins each having a drop bottom, and mechanism operable to dump the receptacle and simultaneously open the drop bottoms of the bins and to close said drop bottoms of the bins when the receptacle is restored to normal position.

15. A laundry classifying apparatus including a table, a dumping receptacle, a

bin provided with a drop bottom, a plurality of movable bag-supporting pins, and a support for a flexible laundry-carrying element, said support having an ejector associated therewith, and means operable upon the dumping of the main receptacle to open the drop bottom of the bin, and move the pins out of bag-supporting position, and to actuate the ejector to discharge the flexible laundrymarrying element from its support.

16. A laundry classifying apparatus comprising a receiving station, a plurality of laundry piece holding means for holding pieces assorted, and means for simultaneously operating said plurality of holding means for simultaneously discharging said laundry pieces therefrom.

17. A laundry classifying apparatus including a table having a plurality of bag supporting means, and mechanism operable to move one of said means into bag supporting position and to move another of said means out of bag supporting position.

18. A laundry classifying apparatus including a Weighing scale forming a rcceiving station, and laundry piece holding means located to discharge its contents upon said scale.

19. A laundry classifying apparatus comprising a table having a recess in which an operator may stand, a plurality of article holding means arranged about said recess for holding articles assorted, and means on said table for simultaneously operating said plurality of holding means for simultaneously discharging articles therefrom.

20. A laundry classifying apparatus comprising a table having a recess in which an operator may stand, a receiving station at one end of the table, a plurality of article holding means arranged about said recess for holding articles assorted, and means common to all of said holding means for simultaneously operating upon them to cause their simultaneous discharge of articles therefrom.

Signed at New York city in the county of New York and State of New York, this 29th day of October, A. D. 1925.

EDVIN LANE. 

